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| Name: | Lewes: Medieval walled town |
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| HER Ref: | MES1630 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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Designations
- Conservation Area: LEWES CONSERVATION AREA
Summary
Remains of Medieval walled town
Monument Types
- TOWN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Description
(TQ 415101) The town of Lewes was of some importance in Saxon times. Aethelstan had two mints there. There is however, no evidence for Roman occupation. After the Conquest it became the centre of William de Warenne's barony and it was he who built the castle. The town was walled about 1267 and there was a further grant for murage in 1334. It is uncertain whether any stone wall existed on the east, where the river protected the approach. See Map Diagram. (1-2)
The overall topographical character of Medieval Lewes survives today (see map diagram), although little of the original town wall survives, and many of the buildings have been refaced in later times. The castle (TQ 41 NW 71) still dominates the town, which has now spread beyond the Md walls. Published survey (1:1250) correct. (3)
TQ417014. Lewes town wall, section called the Green Wall. Scheduled. (4)
Lewes is mentioned in 1066 as having 127 burgesses. In 1148 a charter by Reginald de Warenne restored to the burgesses their merchant guild. (5)
Prior to the demolition of the Green Wall, Lewes to make way for a car park an excavation as carried out in March 1967.
The wall was shown to be an earth bank rather than that of a Greensand stone wall.
The original structure was seen to date to the middle Saxon period with the latest occupation of the bank being the begging of the 12th century, this suggested that the early town of Lewes was in this part of the present town.
The excavation indicated that at some time during the 12th century a migration from this part of the town to the high street area took place.[7]
Sources
| --- | Serial: Sussex Archaeological Society. Sussex notes and queries. |
| --- | Collection: Ordnance Survey: Portfolios. |
| <1> | Collection: Victoria History of the Counties of England:. Sx vol 7, (1940) pg 7 (M Sharp and M Midgley). |
| <2> | Article in serial: Article in serial. Bldgs of Eng Sussex 1965 549, (N Pevsner). |
| <3> | Correspondence: 1952. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigators Comment. F1 PAS 20-MAY-72. |
| <4> | Article in serial: Article in serial. DOE(IAM) AMs Eng. 2 1978 88. |
| <6> | Article in monograph: M W Beresford and H P R Finberg. 1973. English medieval boroughs : a hand-list . Vol 17 Green Wall, Lewes (1967) Thomson, D. |
Associated Events
- The Round House, Pipe Passage: Watching Brief
- Field observation on TQ 41 SW 2
- BROOK STREET,SOUTH AND NORTH (Ref: EI 344)
- Eastgate, Lewes : excavation (Ref: EI 352)
- Grenn Wall, Lewes: Excavation (Ref: EI 353)
- Lancaster Street, Lewes : Evaluation (Ref: EI 358)
- NAVAL PRISON: Excavation (Ref: EI 361)
- North Street, Lewes: Watching Brief (Ref: EI 362)
- NORTH STREET, LEWES: Excavation (Ref: EI 363)
- ST JOHN SUB CASTRO: Excavation
Associated Monuments - none recorded
Associated Finds - none recorded
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